On the other side.
At the plaza beneath Mondstadt's Anemo Archon statue,
Venti once again appeared with his Meicoomon companion.
To keep reading manga for free without getting kicked out,
and to ensure he could savor Boss Han's home-cooked lunch,
Venti and the Meicoomon were giving it their all!
Today, the story Venti retold was none other than the manga he had read yesterday — Yu-Gi-Oh!
The gripping plot once more attracted a large crowd of listeners.
And now the story was reaching its climax.
"Facing Kaiba Seto's relentless aggression, Yugi Mutou took the mysterious deck handed down by his grandfather, beginning a duel of monsters against Kaiba himself.
At this critical moment, the Millennium Puzzle around Yugi's neck suddenly burst forth with a dazzling golden light.
Yugi vanished, and in his place stood someone who looked nearly identical to him — Dark Yugi.
'Kaiba! Wagering my grandfather's deck of soul cards, I will defeat you!'"
Imitating Dark Yugi's domineering tone, Venti declaimed the lines,
instantly winning thunderous cheers from the crowd.
The townsfolk were all stirred with excitement.
"Too cool! Your grandpa was hurt by this guy, how can you not crush him in return?"
"Wait, but who is this Dark Yugi?"
"Probably connected to that Millennium Puzzle. Maybe there's a secret inside."
"Or maybe he's a twin brother? Didn't they say they look almost the same?"
Seeing the excitement on their faces, a smile curved on Venti's lips.
Although the tale wasn't his own creation,
being able to spread it through performance — that was the joy of a bard.
Taking a long breath, Venti's voice rose again.
"And so, the duel began. But Kaiba's deck was terrifyingly strong, boasting even the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Dark Yugi was no match, forced to play on the defensive.
A few more turns passed. Now, Kaiba had already summoned three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, towering on the field, while Dark Yugi's hand held only four strange cards depicting sealed limbs."
The townsfolk's breathing quickened.
Clearly, they sensed the true climax was just ahead.
How could Dark Yugi possibly win against such overwhelming power with only those bizarre cards?
Venti's voice swelled with dramatic intensity.
"Just then, Dark Yugi recalled his grandfather's words — that by uniting five specific monster cards, he could summon an invincible being: Exodia the Forbidden One!
Facing Kaiba's three colossal Blue-Eyes White Dragons, could Dark Yugi draw that one, final crucial card?
And if Exodia appeared, could it truly triumph over the dragons?
If you wish to know, you'll have to visit Boss Han's Solace Book House and read Yu-Gi-Oh! for yourself."
Venti added with a sly grin:
"Ehh-hey, not expensive at all — only 100,000 Mora."
"Come on, you're ending it there?"
"Yeah! Did Dark Yugi draw the last card or not?!"
"I bet he didn't. No way it's that ridiculous — you can't just draw whatever you want. That's straight-up cheating!"
"Damn it, I feel like beating this bard up! Cutting off right at the best part?!"
"Archons above, strike him with lightning already!"
Their excitement cut short, the audience was furious, itching for a fight.
Who tells a story and cliffhangs like this?!
Then suddenly, someone spotted the duel disk strapped to Venti's left arm. Their face went pale with disbelief.
"Wait… that thing on your arm, is that the actual duel disk from the story?"
"That's right! Let me show you."
Venti chuckled, drew out the Dark Magician card, and slid it onto the duel disk.
Whummm—
A searing light erupted,
and from it stepped a tall, stern man garbed in arcane robes, a magic staff in hand.
"This," Venti announced proudly, "is Dark Yugi's signature monster card — the Dark Magician!"
"Whoaa, so handsome! Looks practically real!"
"Incredible! I want one too!"
"Perfect. I'll head to that manga shop later myself."
At the sight of the magnificent Dark Magician, the crowd lost all composure,
their eyes shining with envy and desire.
Unlike before, when skepticism prevailed,
the fame of last night's Golden Fried Rice had already primed the public —
the manga shop's wonders were no longer doubted.
Now everyone with money to spare wanted to try.
Not only could they read amazing stories,
they might also receive treasures like this.
Who wouldn't envy that?
"All right, that's the end of today's tale. Come back tomorrow if you want more!"
With a grin, Venti dismissed the Dark Magician and waved at the crowd.
Mission accomplished — he'd secured himself another chance to read manga.
And at noon, Boss Han's cooking would be his again.
Ehh-hey!
Life was good!
Just then, a sweet voice rang out from nearby.
"Excuse me… is it true that the manga shop can really make you stronger?"
"Huh?"
Venti turned and found a girl in a maid's outfit standing not far away,
her expression tinged with shyness.
"Why, if it isn't Miss Noelle!"
Venti waved cheerfully.
Her reputation in Mondstadt was nearly on par with Barbara's.
To the townsfolk, Maid Noelle was almost mythical.
Wherever something went wrong — a Knightly banquet, a winery's gala, or even an ordinary barbecue —
she would appear like the wind and settle everything flawlessly.
Thus, she had earned the nickname: the "All-Purpose Maid."
"Yes, that manga shop is truly miraculous. If you're curious, why not come with me and see for yourself?"
Venti smiled brightly.
Ehh-hey,
bringing along such a cute maid — wouldn't Boss Han surely let him stay longer to read?
Genius move!
"T-that would trouble you too much!"
Noelle fidgeted, embarrassed.
She was always the one others sought help from —
this was the first time someone offered help to her.
"No trouble at all."
Venti waved it off casually. "If you really want to thank me, then when we're with Boss Han, just put in a good word for me."
"Eh?"
Noelle blinked adorably, tilting her head in confusion.
If he was bringing her, shouldn't he be the one speaking on her behalf?
Why was she supposed to vouch for him?
"Cough, cough… you'll understand once you're there."
~~--------------------------
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